Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Abu Aardvark’s Ghost

Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 12h

New from me in @foreignpolicy.com: how the US has gone from leading a global push against transnational repression, to proactively supporting it:

foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/08/t...

Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression

Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.

foreignpolicy.com

1 22 39

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 3h

DC right now feels like Beirut a few years ago - the best restaurants are doing fine and all the others outside the bubble are dying, the streets are oddly empty, a lot of people are just traumatized, and the government and security forces seem either helpless or actively hostile.

David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 3h

I have a friend who owns a restaurant. He says tourism and travel to DC in recent months has devastated many restaurants in DC. So, yes, Trump is lying. Again.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4h

Trump: "You can go and eat at the restaurants. The restaurants are booming. They were closing one after another and now they're booming, they're opening. Nobody has ever seen a transformation like they have in Washington DC. It's as hot as it can get."

1 4 30

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 3h

If you want an actually brilliant album by a revered female singer in her mid-30s Hayley’s gotcha. It’s so good. If you don’t like it find her in Whole Foods, bitch.

open.spotify.com/album/0U0Qv2...

Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party

open.spotify.com

5

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

Omg it’s just me 😳

1 2

Reposted by Abu Aardvark’s Ghost

Kragdar @kragdar.bsky.social · 4h

“It is similar to but in many ways substantially better than the ideas batted around during the Biden administration, and Trump has pushed it forward with far more public pressure and presidential peevishness than Biden ever mustered towards Israel.”

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

I’ll fucking sign Trumps Nobel Peace Prize myself if it ends the genocide, starts aid, prevents Israeli annexation and stops the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. We are a long way from that. Still better than Biden’s crew of super-geniuses managed.

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/gazas-tomorr...

Gaza's Tomorrow is Yesterday

Plus the latest from the MENA Academy Last week, the Trump White House announced a somewhat odd 20 point peace plan for Gaza; the language was so casual and the key points so vague that I at first as...

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io

1 3

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

Fact check: not true. And a damn shame, too.

Mike Murphy @mjamurphy.bsky.social · 4h

Apparently when you're a 40yo man with a bluesky account they just send you this stuff

Shot of hand holding hardcover book Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon

2 4

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

What “guarantor of the agreement” means is going to be kinda important

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 4h

Trump plans to speak in the Knesset.

He’s also signed on as the guarantor of the agreement.

President Trump told me he is "likely going to Israel in the coming days" to address the country's parliament, the Knesset, in the wake of the Gaza peace deal

www.axios.com/2025/10/09/t...

Trump tells Axios he's "likely" going to Israel for speech after Gaza deal

"It is a great day for Israel and for the world," he said in a call with Axios.

www.axios.com

2 3 14

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

I’ll fucking sign Trumps Nobel Peace Prize myself if it ends the genocide, starts aid, prevents Israeli annexation and stops the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. We are a long way from that. Still better than Biden’s crew of super-geniuses managed.

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/gazas-tomorr...

Gaza's Tomorrow is Yesterday

Plus the latest from the MENA Academy Last week, the Trump White House announced a somewhat odd 20 point peace plan for Gaza; the language was so casual and the key points so vague that I at first as...

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io

2 4 21

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

I wish I didn’t

1

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

Hamas asked for it but you’re probably right

1 7

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

I hope the architects of the Gaza plan have read one good book about the occupation of Iraq. More, even.

2 15

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

Hope they get Marwan Barghouti and he can rise to the moment

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 5h

BREAKING Hamas says alive hostages to be exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners within 72 hours of deal implementation

1 25 120

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 4h

Are there any Republicans who might be able to end the shutdown? Or do, like, anything? I mean come on they control every branch of government.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/u...

These Democrats Could Hold the Key to Ending the Shutdown

www.nytimes.com

1 2 6

Reposted by Abu Aardvark’s Ghost

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 5h

Israeli sources: Gaza deal expected in hours, IDF to completely withdraw from the Strip

Follow for @haaretzcom.bsky.social updates

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Trump announces Gaza cease-fire: 'all of the hostages will be released very soon'

***

www.haaretz.com

1 3 12

Reposted by Abu Aardvark’s Ghost

Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 5h

BREAKING: Israeli war planes continue to launch raids on Gaza City as Palestinians celebrate the ceasefire announcement, according to an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent on the ground.

🔴 LIVE update: aje.io/xqppys

15 480 570

Reposted by Abu Aardvark’s Ghost

Aguas de março @aguasdemarco.bsky.social · 6h

Gift link:
"One activist called Bray a “domestic terrorist professor,” & another shared the address of his home in NJ. The campus’s chapter of...Turning Point USA then launched a petition to demand that the university fire him...claiming Bray is a risk to their safety."
wapo.st/4h0JVWZ

Professor who teaches about antifascism moves to Europe after death threats

A Rutgers University professor who wrote a book about antifa received the threats after he commented on President Donald Trump designating the movement a “domestic terrorist organization.”

wapo.st

7 9

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 6h

Yup and lots of other examples

1

Reposted by Abu Aardvark’s Ghost

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 6h

BREAKING: Hamas will release all 20 living hostages this weekend, AP sources say, as Israelis will withdraw from majority of Gaza.

Israel, Hamas agree to 'first phase' of plan to end fighting, release hostages, Trump says

President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first Phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners.

bit.ly

26 84 200

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 6h

It’s only a beginning not an ending but anything which stops the slaughter of Gaza is good. Hoping for the best, been around long enough to fear the worst.

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/gazas-tomorr...

2 1 11

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 13h

lol

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 13h

He said as he waited impatiently to cross the street while some evil mofo gets driven out to do evil things.

1 1 7

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 13h

I remember back in the day people in this part of DC used to get excited about motorcades coming out of the Obama White House, rubbernecking and asking everyone if it was him. That is not, to put it mildly, the vibe when this White House shuts down traffic.

1 1 6

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 14h

Wait the Packers play against Joe Flacco on an AFC Ohio team for the second time in three games?

www.theleap.football/p/how-joe-fl...

How Joe Burrow affects Sunday's Bengals-Packers game

The Bengals correctly determined that they couldn't continue with Jake Browning as their starting QB. Whether Joe Flacco fixes the problem is another matter, however.

www.theleap.football

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 14h

“I hope the Trump deal.. ends the active horrors. I fear that it could be another Camp David, a "last chance" based on deeply flawed assumptions and conceived in the absence of one of the ostensible negotiating partners which blows up in everyone's face.”

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/gazas-tomorr...

Gaza's Tomorrow is Yesterday

Plus the latest from the MENA Academy Last week, the Trump White House announced a somewhat odd 20 point peace plan for Gaza; the language was so casual and the key points so vague that I at first as...

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io

3 3

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 15h

Is Gaza’s tomorrow yesterday? My new piece just posted.

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io/gazas-tomorr...

Gaza's Tomorrow is Yesterday

Plus the latest from the MENA Academy Last week, the Trump White House announced a somewhat odd 20 point peace plan for Gaza; the language was so casual and the key points so vague that I at first as...

abuaardvarkghost.ghost.io

1 6